October 22 Newsletter

October 1, 2022

Managing change in your business

A road sign that says next 4 miles on it

Successfully implement change in your business
Research by Kotter International found that more than 70% of change projects within a business fail. Why is this? The research findings show that employee engagement is the biggest factor. Whether it is a small change to one or two processes, or a company-wide change, it's common for staff to feel intimidated by it. So what can you do for successful implementation of change? Here are the principals from Kotter’s 8-Step Program:
1. Get the team onboard
Build support and create momentum behind the changes you are making by communicating the benefits with the whole company early on.

Start honest discussions with your team and give dynamic and convincing reasons to get people talking and thinking about the change.
Demonstrate what would happen if you didn’t make the change and what else it could affect in the future.
Request support from customers in this instance who may love the product, outside stakeholders and others known in the industry to strengthen your argument.

Kotter suggests that 75 percent of a company's management needs to support a change in order to succeed.
2. Form a powerful coalition from all areas of the business
Share the support you have from all areas in the business (not just the leadership team). Visible support from key people within the organisation will bring others on board and create a sense of urgency. Give these people key roles in the change process to help progress it.
Once formed, your "change coalition" needs to work as a team, continuing to build urgency and momentum around the need for change.
What you can do:

Identify the influencers in your organisation for this change, as well as your key stakeholders.
Ensure that you have a good mix of people from different levels within your firm.
Ask for a commitment from these key people.
Work on team building within your change coalition.

3. Create a vision for change
Create an overall vision that helps everyone understand why you're asking them to do something.
What you can do:

Develop a short summary (one or two sentences) that captures what you "see" as the future of your organisation.
Create a strategy to execute that vision.
Ensure that your team leading the change are all on the same page.

4. Communicate the vision
Embed this in everything you do so it is not lost in the day-to-day operation but a powerful part of this.
What you can do:

Talk often about vision and change.
Make sure the vision is applied to all aspects of the operations. For example, ensure it’s added to the training and induction program and is encapsulated into the relevant job descriptions and evaluations.
Address people’s concerns and anxieties about it openly and honestly.
Lead by example.

5. Remove obstacles
Check constantly for processes and structures that need to adjust to allow you to execute the vision and help the change move forward.
What you can do:

Look at your organisational structure, job descriptions, and performance and compensation systems to ensure they're in line with your vision.
Recognise and reward people for making change happen.
Identify, or hire, change managers whose core role is to deliver the change.
Identify areas or team members that stand in the way of change, and find solutions.
Take action to quickly remove barriers rather than letting them fester.

6. Create short-term wins
Create short-term targets – not just one long-term goal. Each "win" that you produce can further motivate all the staff especially if it’s a big change requiring a longer process and help keep them on task.
What you can do:

Reward people who help you meet the targets.
Look for sure-fire projects that you can implement without help from any strong critics of the change.
Don't choose early targets that are expensive. You want to be able to justify the investment in each project.

7. Build on the change
Keep looking for improvements to the system to ensure the long term goals are achieved.
What you can do:

After every win, analyse what went right, and what needs improving.
Set goals to continue building on the momentum you've achieved.
Develop a culture of continuous improvement.
Keep ideas fresh by bringing in new people to lead the change.

8. Anchor the changes in your culture
Finally, to make any change stick, it should become part of the core of your organisation. Make continuous efforts to ensure that the change is seen in every aspect, giving it a solid place in your organisation. It's also important that your company's leaders continue to support the change. This includes existing staff and new leaders who are brought in.
What you can do:

Talk about progress every chance you get. Tell success stories about the change process, and repeat other stories that you hear.
Include the change ideals and values when hiring and training new staff so it is enforced from the start.
Publicly recognise key members and enablers of the change.
Create plans to replace key leaders of change as they move on. This will help ensure that their legacy is not lost or forgotten.

Business tips: Knowing what your customer wants

Wooden scrabble tiles that say who are you

The increase in digital business systems has opened up forensic ways of understanding your customer base. That's a huge bonus when you're aiming to build better connections, relationships and experiences with your audience.
Knowing what your customer wants is a fundamental piece of knowledge for any successful business to get to grips with. And when you're running a modern, digital business there's an overwhelming wealth of customer and sales data and analytics at your disposal – making it easier than ever to dig down into the needs and habits of your end user.

Detailed CRM records and customer notes

A CRM system becomes the heart of your customer management, business development and marketing activity, allowing you to log activity, keep notes and record progress throughout the sales pipeline.

The more information you have about your valued customers, the more you can do to meet their needs and deliver the perfect customer experience. And by maximising your use of this customer data, you can tightly focus your marketing campaigns and do more to make every customer feel understood, valued and (most importantly) satisfied.

Drilled-down sales records

Keeping tabs on your sales activity is central to any business model. In an ideal world, you want regular, repeatable sales from a loyal customer base. But sales activity can be hard to predict, especially when you’re setting ambitious sales targets for your team to hit.

Having detailed sales records and data at your fingertips has two key benefits:

You know how sales have fared in the past
You know how sales may pan out in the future

Being able to run forecasts, based on your historic sales data gives you a stable foundation on which to build your future sales targets. It’s a solid projection, based on real business data. But this data also gives you an encyclopaedic overview of what your customers have been buying.

This sales data helps you understand:

Which products/services your customers want to spend their money on
Which specific products/services are failing to convert
Which points in the year will have peaks and troughs in sales
When it’s the right time to invest in more sales and marketing activity

This is all gold dust when it comes to planning out your strategy, assigning your sales and marketing resources and building engagement with your core audiences.

Marketing analytics and customer touch points

Marketing is a vital part of getting your brand message out into the world. Today’s digital marketing and email platforms make it easier than ever to see the results and analytics from your marketing campaign and to answer meaningful questions about the outcomes:

How many customers clicked through from your call-to-action?
How many click-throughs were converted into sales?
How many views did your latest blog post get?
Who opened your latest email campaign?
Which one of your customer segments is most engaged?

With the marketing analytics that digital systems can provide, you know the answers to all these questions. That’s incredibly helpful when working out which campaigns delivered a good return-on-investment (ROI), which customer groups are most engaged and where your marketing is hitting the mark (or not, as the case may be).

Social media interactions and feedback

Social media platforms, like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok, give your business a cheap and effective way of getting your brand messages out to a wider audience. Social media is a two-way communication channel. It’s a conduit for your customers and followers to message you, ask questions and give you feedback – and in that sense, it’s a vital way of understanding your customers’ needs.

As you scale and grow, an increased focus on social media will be vital. Hiring a social media manager, or working with a social media agency, helps you broaden out your social activity and really engage with your followers. Reply to queries, placate frustrated customers and share your latest news and updates. If you can be present and engaging in the social space, that’s going to help you cement your bond with these valued customers.

Online customer feedback and star ratings

The acid test of your customer experience is simple: are your customers happy? Satisfied and happy customers become amazing advocates for your brand. But, equally, disgruntled and unhappy customers can quickly undo the good work you’ve done in building a brand.

In the online age, bad news spreads incredibly quickly, and customer feedback, reviews and trust scores are a vital part of your brand’s equity. A series of terrible reviews for your café on a platform like TripAdvisor can cause serious damage. So, it’s important that you engage with these reviews, run customer surveys and listen carefully to any customer feedback.

Ultimately, delighting your customer is your key aim as a business owner. Using your ears and listening to the feedback you get is integral to understanding what your customers want.

Hitting your growth targets, is far easier when you know the needs of your customers and can accurately target your sales, marketing and social activity.

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Unlock Smarter Spending for Better SEND Outcomes – Part 2

By David Adderson • July 14, 2025

In Part 1 of this series, Dr Anita Devi opened the conversation on the rising complexity of SEND and the need for intentional, values-driven provision. Her reflections focused on inclusive leadership, purposeful commissioning, and the principle that less can often be more . In this second part, I’d like to continue the conversation — but from a financial perspective. My name is Katherine Robertson. I’ve spent over 10 years working with organisations across sectors including the education sector, helping them to navigate their finances confidently and strategically. What I’ve learned over that time is simple: money follows priorities — but only when we lead with clarity . And now, with SEND needs rising faster than school income, we must work smarter than ever with the resources we have. 🎯 From Stockpiling to Strategic Spending In 2024, the Department for Education wrote to 64 academy trusts, concerned that some were holding onto reserves more than 100% of their annual income . These aren’t just large numbers — they are untapped opportunities. Of course, we know why these reserves exist: financial uncertainty, poor capital funding, and the understandable desire to protect future viability. But if money meant for today’s pupils is held for tomorrow’s problems , we risk doing a disservice to the very learners we aim to support. That’s why we’re asking an important question: Can schools and trusts use their reserves to strengthen inclusion and SEND support now, without compromising their long-term financial security? Our answer is yes — with the right approach. 🧩 Applying Financial Wisdom to Inclusive Practice We are not advocating reckless spending or draining reserves dry. On the contrary, we work with leaders to build a clear, defensible strategy for using reserves wisely , backed by robust modelling, compliance with DfE guidance, and an unwavering focus on improving outcomes for children with SEND. Together with Dr Anita Devi, we bring dual lens: educational insight and financial clarity. Here’s how we help to: ● Identify untapped funding within existing reserves ● Co-develop an evidence-led SEND investment plan ● Align to DfE expectations on reserve levels and financial health ● Build the narrative for governors, trustees, auditors and regulators ● Support ongoing evaluation to ensure value for money and impact It’s not about spending more. It’s about spending better . 🔄 Releasing Funds. Reinforcing Purpose. SEND needs are not going away — and nor are the financial pressures. But when finance and inclusion experts work together, we can unlock solutions that support both pupil outcomes and institutional resilience . With careful planning, strategic reserve use can: ● Fund early intervention ● Invest in staff development ● Improve provision infrastructure ● And reduce future costs from reactive SEND placements or escalation It’s a long-term gain — and a value-led approach to financial governance. 💬 Let’s Continue the Conversation If you’re sitting on reserves and wondering how best to use them — or if you’re just ready to rethink how your SEND resources are working for you — we’re here to help. We offer a tailored advisory service that helps schools and trusts plan, invest and lead with both head and heart. 📩 Reach out at SEND_Finance@youtopia.co.uk to book a preliminary conversation. Because sometimes, the smartest way to save — is to spend with purpose. Author: Katherine Robertson Strategic Finance Expert and Education Consultant In partnership with Dr Anita Devi – Leading SEND Specialist

Unlock Smarter Spending for Better SEND Outcomes

By David Adderson • July 4, 2025

Inclusion is desirable, yet it is complex. In this two-part blog, we begin to unravel the challenges of increasing needs in education and diminishing resources. In this article, Dr Anita Devi explores some of the many challenges Educators in England currently face. Her intent is to extend perceptual thinking from problem to solution. In Part 2, Katherine Robertson will unpick some of the financial levers for consideration. I have worked in the education sector for a fair few decades now. Am I showing my age? Possibly, but also my experience and out of that experience is born wisdom. Wisdom is applied knowledge with the benefit of lived experience and hindsight. To broaden our thinking, I have decided to focus on three areas: Rising needs in the classroom – ensuring each child receives an educational experience that is progressive, whilst meeting their needs Less is more – applying a structured and systematic approach to providing support for special educational needs and disability (SEND) Commissioning with purpose – intentionally involving others, when needed. Since the increase in needs always outmatches the rise in resource funding, sadly we will always be in a deficit. This is not about being despondent, but hopeful through responsive and creative solutions. In many life situations, we face elements of the unknown and so we put in place checks and balances to ensure we maintain stability. If our own personal finances were continuously in the red, we would be faced with three options: Reduce spending Increase income Look for alternatives In the education world whilst options 1 and 2 may be possible to some degree, it is restricted and ultimately option 3 has been our default; especially if we are to adhere to the core principles of The Salamanca Statement (1994) and more closely to home, The Children and Families’ Act 2014. Rising need in the classroom Those who lead on inclusion and /or SEND need to simplify systems to ensure those learners who require additional and adaptive provision receive it. I have expanded more on this in a July 2023 booklet, which you can download here . If as a leader, you understand the fundamentals of an inclusive provision framework, you can reduce the paper trail to make it purposeful, without compromising on keeping a diligent paper trail of evidence. This will also ensure you know whether what is in place is having an impact or not. SEND: It is time to lead differently . Less is more There are a number of core decisions to be made when additional provision is put in place. For example, in or out of the classroom? How long is the defined additional support required and most importantly what is the expected outcome from the additional support? For far too long, we have assumed the ‘forever’ model when it comes to interventions or additional support. We have often omitted to discern short-term from long-term, as well as factor in the negative impact of too many interventions simultaneously. Short-term interventions, if assessed and targeted well can (in many instances) provide the learner with new skills and/or increased independence. This is a desirable outcome, as none of us is truly seeking to create a dependency model. Equally, administering too many interventions simultaneously takes away from the exploratory nature of interventions i.e. what’s working and what needs to change. We have indeed moved away from the ‘medical model’, however, some of the basic principles still need to be considered. In response to a medical condition, a doctor would not prescribe multiple medications or remedies simultaneously. Due care and consideration would be given to the negative interactive impact of one solution upon another. We need to apply a similar approach to inclusion and SEND. This is not denying that a child may have multiple needs, but sometimes it is about focusing on one thing at a time. Commissioning with Purpose This has been a bugbear of mine since 2018 , if not before! As a previous SEND Advisory Teacher, I was always intentional about ‘adding value’ to what is already in place in any setting. As a previous Senior Leader / SENCO, I was always intentional about securing services that provided ‘value for money’. I’ve worked with The Audit Commission on this and The National Audit Office, not to mention Business Managers and local authorities. I would also encourage readers to explore their ‘decommissioning process’. As a long-standing Education Change Consultant, my team & I always write our exit plans before we go into support. This is regardless of whether we are working in the UK or overseas. I am continuously amazed how many schools/colleges rely on the same service for years, even if there is no impact evidence of change through the input they are buying in. Over the years, training head teachers at national conferences, I have always advocated ‘procurement with precision’. Even at local authority level, I think provision would be better if Porter’s Forces were applied during the annual review of an EHCP in regard to placement choices, especially non-maintained Independent schools (NMIs). Supplier power through exuberant price hikes, in a time when there is a shortage of places, is both immoral and financially unsustainable. This is just the start of the conversation, but with a few systemic tweaks – schools and colleges can begin to look differently at provision. Still meeting the needs of children and young people but reducing the strain on financial resources and human manpower. Do get in touch if you would like to find out more. Author: Dr Anita Devi dr. h.c. Dr Anita Devi , leading SEND specialist, and Katherine Robertson , strategic finance expert, have joined forces to offer a new advisory service for schools and colleges . This service is designed to provide strategic financial governance of SEND provision, focusing on efficiency, effectiveness, and value for money . We help you explore financially sustainable solutions that support early intervention, improve outcomes, and make the most of every pound spent, without compromising on quality. If you're ready to rethink how SEND resources are used in your setting, contact us for a preliminary conversation at SEND_Finance@youtopia.co.uk 📢 And keep an eye out for our upcoming blog